The present invention concerns an obturator for an opening produced in a metal sheet and notably in a motor vehicle body.
Such obturators are used for sealingly closing openings produced in steel or aluminium structures.
These obturators are made from moulded plastics material and are generally fixed by snapping in. A peripheral lip is adapted to come into abutment sealingly on a face of the periphery of the opening to be closed off and snapping in lugs are elastically returned on the other face of the periphery
The aim of the present invention is to propose an obturator which is simple to fit and guarantees a good closing seal.
The obturator to which the invention relates comprises a collar having a peripheral lip adapted to come into abutment on one face of the opening.
In accordance with the invention, this obturator has at least one tooth pivotally mounted on the collar and a central portion forming a pusher, said central portion being adapted to pivotally move said at least one tooth between an unlocked position and a locked position of the obturator, said at least one tooth coming into abutment on an opposite face of the opening in the locked position of the obturator.
Thus the locking of the obturator is obtained by pivoting one or more teeth on the collar, during the movement of a central portion forming a pusher. This free pivoting movement of one or more teeth guarantees a more reliable fitting of the obturator than that obtained by elastic return of the snapping-in lugs or, in other systems, by the deformation of the obturator when it is locked in the opening.
In addition, by virtue of the locking obtained by pivoting of one or more teeth, this obturator can sealingly close openings of greater or lesser dimensions.
This is because it suffices for the edge of the opening to lie between the collar of the obturator supporting one or more teeth and the free end of this tooth or teeth.
According to a preferred characteristic of the invention, the central portion forming a pusher is adapted to maintain said at least one tooth pivoted in abutment on said opposite face of the opening in the locked position of the obturator.
The central portion thus fulfils both a role of pusher driving the pivoting of one or more teeth under the opening and of keeping these teeth in the locked position of the obturator.
According to another preferred characteristic of the invention, the central portion is joined to the collar by means of a deformable wall forming a travel limiter for the central portion between the unlocked position and the locked position of the obturator.
Thus the deformable wall makes it possible both to mount the central portion on the collar and to limit the movement thereof with respect to this collar.
According to another preferred characteristic of the invention, the central portion is able to move between a position projecting from the collar in the unlocked position of the obturator and a position retracted into the collar in said locked position of the obturator.
The central portion forming a pusher is thus easily accessible in order to be manoeuvred during the locking of the obturator and on the other hand does not form any interfering projection on the obturator placed in the opening.
Preferably, the collar comprises an orifice for guiding the central portion forming a pusher between the projecting position and the retracted position.
The movement of the central portion forming a pusher in the collar is facilitated by the guidance orifice.
Advantageously in this embodiment, the deformable wall, joining the central portion to the collar, is fixed by a first end to the collar and by a second end substantially half-way up the central portion forming a pusher.
Thus the deformable wall deforms inside the guidance orifice and jams the central portion in the guidance orifice in the locked position of the obturator.
In a practical fashion, the obturator comprises a series of teeth distributed over the collar, the teeth having an end flange extending towards the inside of the collar, substantially opposite the central portion forming a pusher in the unlocked position of the obturator.
This end flange cooperates with the central portion in order to pivotally move the teeth during the locking of the obturator.
According to an advantageous characteristic of the invention, the teeth comprise respectively at their free end, opposite to an end pivotally mounted on the collar, a sloping end wall adapted to cooperate with a contour of the opening when the obturator is introduced into the opening and to move the teeth towards the inside of the opening.
By virtue of the slope formed at the free end of the teeth, the latter can slightly retract towards the centre of the opening when the obturator is introduced into openings with smaller acceptable sizes.
Other particularities and advantages of the invention will also emerge from the following description.